


sunset and evening star, and one clear call for me

by isloremipsumafterall



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F, Femslash February
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 04:35:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5953816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isloremipsumafterall/pseuds/isloremipsumafterall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somewhere in between the threats in the universe Ashley's perspective of Miranda changes</p>
            </blockquote>





	sunset and evening star, and one clear call for me

Ashley didn’t think much of it the first time she met Miranda at Shepard’s side. As far as she was concerned Miranda was just another Cerberus cultist, with all the wrong ideals and fighting for the wrong things and if she didn’t come back from that suicide mission Shepard seemed hell bent on then it was just one less Cerberus operative to worry about.

 

The second time she met Miranda things were different however, the woman was no longer wearing the markings of Cerberus and had a tired look in her eyes.

 

“Shepard told me if I had information about Cerberus’ upcoming mission I should talk to you.” Miranda said, without further explanation and walked past Ashley into her room.

 

“Shepard got you a message while in incarceration?” Ashley wouldn’t have put it past the Commander but it still seemed bizarre. “Why send you to me?”

 

Miranda glanced over at her, “Because she knew you were the one person who would hate what Cerberus was doing as much as I’d hated what it’d become.” Miranda clenched her fist, “I believed in them. I did.”

 

Ashley titled her head, taking in the small reaction that was the only indication of a crack in the foundation that was Miranda Lawson’s tough exterior.

 

“Tell me what you’ve got then.” She said and gestured to the couch for Miranda to take a seat.

 

As Miranda did she wondered if all Cerberus agents were taught to sway their hips like that and quietly snorted in her amusement at the idea of it.

 

~~

 

Fighting alongside Miranda wasn’t actually all that different from fighting next to Kaidan in terms of a biotic show of power and it made Ashley feel bittersweet in the reminder of her dead friend as they raided yet another Cerberus lab together.

 

“Behind you!” Miranda yelled and Ashley instinctively ducked as Miranda threw a biotic slam that downed three men simultaneously.

 

Not even a second later Ashley was up and firing an assault rifle round at the men behind Miranda and the two of them continued on the trend of fighting back to back until there was no left in the room standing besides them.

 

“Not bad,” Miranda said, running a gloved hand through her hair and doing some kind of flick with it that threw it back and highlighted her flawless skin.

 

“You weren’t so bad yourself.” Ashley said with a grin, nodding appreciatively at some of the fallen Cerberus soldiers.

 

Miranda offered her a smirk as she walked over them to the computers to dig up the information needed.

 

“All there?” Ashley asked her, filling up the silence in the room.

 

“Enough for the Alliance to get another few raids in.” Miranda told her, still typing away at her omnitool to crack the coding on some parts.

 

Ashley watched her curiously, prior to this Miranda had spilled the secret of her genetic enhancements, something Ashley suspected she shared to prove that she was trusting Ashley herself which was appreciated though Ashley retained some suspicions.

 

She’d had been a bad soldier if she didn’t.

 

“If you’re wondering if this is part of genetic engineering the answer is yes,” Miranda didn’t even look up as she spoke.

 

“Hey I wasn’t complaining,” Ashley told her, “It gets the job done. Just….do you ever wonder what you’d be like without it?”

 

Miranda paused for a second, glancing over at her, “I enjoy my intelligence. I once told Shepard that wasn’t cockiness, just a fact.”

 

“Not everybody enjoys things all the time though.” Ashley shot back.

 

“There are times perhaps that I’d have wondered what I’d be like if my father hadn’t wanted the dynasty he did.” Miranda relented.

 

Ashley relaxed a little, grinning at Miranda, “It’s only human to wonder.” She teased.

 

Miranda shot her a bemused look and then turned back to her omnitool as it cracked the code.

 

“We’re good to go, let’s move.” She said, her voice authoritative again and Ashley gave her a lazy two fingered salute.

 

“Lead on.” She waved her hand in front of her and Miranda took the lead with ease.

 

~~

 

Her apartment wasn’t really set up for two people to stay at, not even with Miranda crashing on the couch.

 

How Miranda woke up every day with hardly a hair out of place though Ashley didn’t know because even genetic engineering couldn’t possibly have managed that.

 

Mostly the two of them ignored each other in the morning, sipping coffee quietly, Ashley would read over some poetry in books her father had left her and Miranda would look over reports to see what Cerberus was up to next and if they were any closer to pining her down.

 

Some days they didn’t find anything and those days Ashley would find a holovid for them, something from the older earth collection that they could share.

 

“These romance films hardly seem based in real life.” Miranda commented at one point as they watched the leads kiss after only knowing each other for a few days.

 

“I think they’re nice.” When Miranda looked over at her Ashley huffed, “I be sensitive too. Take me out in date and give me a reason to get all fancied up and I’d rock your world.”

 

Miranda’s eyes fell to her legs and slowly made their way up until she met Ashley’s eyes.

 

“I believe you,” She said, “But maybe you should but your money where your mouth is and prove it.”

 

“Is that a challenge, Cerberus?” Ashley shot at her, joking at the name and luckily Miranda caught it because she smiled.

 

“Maybe.”

 

“All right, you and me, when all this is over and you can be seen in public we’re going out.”

 

Miranda smirked and Ashley had the sudden feeling she’d been played, “I’m looking forward to it.”

 

“Damn right you are,” Ashley said, playing into it anyway.

 

The fell silent, finishing the movie together and neither said anything as they ended up pressed together on the couch.

 

~~

 

“I should go,” Miranda’s eyes were solemn, the threat of Cerberus looming even more.

 

“There have been reaper reports coming in everywhere.” Ashley told her, “Where are you going to go that isn’t as bad as here?”

 

“I’ll find a place. You’ve got to head to Earth anyway.” Miranda must have seen the report calling her and the Normandy back and Ashley scowled.

 

“Hacking my reports?”

 

“Just doing my research.” Miranda assured her. “Be careful.”

 

“I’ll be fine, you look after yourself.” Ashley hesitated and then leaned in, closing the space between them until their lips were just barely touching.

 

Miranda took the initiative from there, bringing up her hand to slip behind Ashley’s neck and pulling her in close for a desperate kiss.

 

“Something to come back to.” Ashley told her when they parted, “I better not hear your name on the news unless it comes with a Cerberus base blowing up and you walking away from it.”

 

“I won’t get caught, I’m too good for that.” Miranda assured her, all cockiness on display but Ashley could see the worry underneath it.

 

She nodded at Miranda, kissing her again, just in case and watched the other woman saunter out the door as easily as she entered it all those weeks ago.

 

They had time she was certain, they’d make it through this war, and then Ashley could drag out her nicest outfit and meet Miranda at the bar just like in one of those old romantic films.


End file.
